Intermission
by MichaelSilverleaf
Summary: There are situations in a student's life when he cannot hold back his feelings anymore... - Some DeanxSeamus Oneshots.
1. in the Snow

**Intermission in the Snow**

Going to Hogsmeade always was an event Seamus looked forward to. And even though Dolores Umbridge had quite a regime going on in Hogwarts, she was not able to cancel this part of the students' freedom. Not only they were fond of getting out of the school from time to time, also the teachers wanted to have their drink at the Three Broomsticks. So it was obvious that Umbridge was not even supported by Filch when she wanted to get rid of the visits in Hogsmeade.

The snow was quietly falling down this Saturday morning when Seamus got up. He rolled over once more, trying to ignore the pale rays of sunlight which were falling through the curtains. Just once more he wanted to return to his dream which was so wonderful that Seamus wished it had never ended. But an annoying ticking sound forced him to stay awake. Seamus grunted and hid his head underneat his pillow. But once noticed he could not ignore the ticking which apparently was coming from his alarm clock.

Just at the moment Seamus finally decided to get up because he could not sleep anyway the curtains of his four-poster bed were opened up with such an attitude that Seamus yanked his arms up in order to protect his face against the blinding sunlight.

„Get up, sleepyhead! Hogsmeade's waiting!" Dean's voice rang in Seamus' ears and he needed some time to recognize the silhouette in front of him as his best friend. Dean already wore his cloak and as Seamus looked around in the dormitory he realized that everyone else already had left.

„What time is it?", Seamus yawned and stretched before he pushed his blankets aside.

„Half past nine.", Dean grinned and crossed his arms leaning against Seamus' bed while he was waiting for his friend to get up and dressed, „I'd hurry up if I were you or otherwise breakfast is over when you're finally in the Great Hall."

Seamus only glared at Dean in a huff and took off his pyjama to get dressed properly. While he was changing Seamus turned his back towards Dean because he did not want him to see how pink he went. Knowing that Dean stared at his naked body was hard. Of course in their first years spent at Hogwarts Seamus had no problem with getting dressed in Dean's presence or even sharing one blanket with him. But already during their third year Seamus noticed that he was somehow different. He got attached to Dean more and more and it took almost about a year until he admitted to himself that he obviously had fallen in love with his best friend. And of course he had not had the heart to tell Dean about it. He just went on, trying to act as if everything was okay.

* * *

„Do we have to go to this meeting in the Hog's Head?" Seamus was not very fond of seeing Harry Potter today. Especially not in Hogsmeade and during his freetime. Enduring him in all the lessons definitively was enough. But Dean seemed to disagree with Seamus in this point.

„What? You think, Umbridge's lessons are better than truly learning to defend yourself in case you have to?", Dean raised an eyebrow, obviously not understanding that Seamus still thought Harry was lying. But Seamus simply shook his head and stayed quiet. He did not want to talk about Harry or anything that had to do with him. Not before breakfast.

As they sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Neville and Lavender, Seamus almost had forgotten about Harry Potter or the meeting in the Hog's Head. He reached out for some bacon, sausages and scones and piled them onto his plate. Dean sat down next to him, helping himself out with some toast and marmalade.

„Morning, guys.", said Neville and looked at them over his Daily Prophet. Seamus ignored the headlines concerning Dumbledore again and pretended being as happy as always.

„Morning, Neville.", he replied, „Gotta join us going to Hogsmeade later?" Maybe he could convince Neville and Dean to stay in the Three Broomsticks instead of going to the Hog's Head.

But right before Neville could answer Seamus' question, Dean interferred: „Speaking of it.. Shae..", he looked at his best friend, a touch of excuse in his face, „..I promised Ginny Weasley to go to Hogsmeade with her. Completely forgot to tell you, I suppose.."

Seamus' jaw fell down and he stared at Dean as if he had completely betrayed him.

„Are you serious?!", Seamus shouted, maybe a bit too loud because some people turned their heads in his direction. He instantly lowered his voice and looked incredulously at Dean, „You're going to Hogsmeade with.. with Ginny Weasley?"

„Well.. yeah.", Dean churned his toast and Seamus did not quite notice if he sounded sorry or happy. And Seamus immediately thought of something that would be horrifying.

„You mean..", Seamus anxiously looked at his best friend and completely forgot about his breakfast, „Like a date or something?" The way of how pink Dean turned already told Seamus that he did not want to hear his answer.

„I.. I don't know to be honest.", Dean finally muttered an looked down at the toast on his plate. Out of the corner of his eyes Seamus could see that Neville also went red and he remembered that he had been the one who danced with Ginny during the Jule Ball. Maybe not only Seamus disliked Dean going out with Ron's sister.

„What d'ya mean with that?", Seamus asked and finally took a bite from one of his sausages. They had turned half-cold.

„She only asked me if we wanted to go to Hog's Head together, okay?" Even Dean's ears were pink. And Seamus, who recognized how fond Dean was of going on a date with Ginny, suddenly felt how his appetite disappeared. He never before had been so extremely jealous!

„Fine.", Seamus said, sulkily looking at Dean, „Then go to Hogsmeade with her. We'll be all fine, won't we, Neville?" He looked at him across the table and Neville seemed to be confused for a moment, looking from Seamus to Dean and back. But then he nodded and agreed: „A-Alright, Seamus!"

Dean seemed relieved and started eating his toast. Seamus could not even look at him and when Dean silently said ‚Thanks, guys.' he only grunted.

* * *

At eleven o'clock Seamus and Neville went through the Hogwarts portal, draped in warm cloaks, long scarves and woolen gloves. Dean had already been leaving for Hogsmeade with Ginny half an hour ago when she picked him up at the Gryffindor's table. And neither Neville nor Seamus wanted to talk about them when they walked through the falling snow. Instead of that they were arguing about an essay they had to write for Prof. McGonnagall, concerning the new insights of transfiguration during to the industrialisation in 1780. But just when Neville told Seamus that Madam Pince had not allowed him to enter the forbidden section of the library, they heared a jarring voice behind them and turned around.

It was Draco Malfoy.

„Look who we have here.", he said with an evil grin on his face, „Burned Face and Chickenshit Longbottom." Seamus instantly wanted to grab his wand but Neville held him back. „He's not worth it.", Neville muttered.

Malfoy came nearer guarded by Crabbe and Goyle as always. He raised an eyebrow. „Ohh... Longbottom's protecting you, Finnigan. How sweet. Say, are we disturbing you during your pityful date?" He made a pause to let Crabbe and Goyle laugh about his joke. But then his eyes narrowed and he added hissing: „Or are you planning something... prohibited?"

„Like hell we would.", said Seamus clenching his fists. Malfoy looked at him as if he was considering to believe him or not. But then he snickered and went on saying: „Well... seems as if Gryffindor students are not all as brave as they should be…." And off he went.

Seamus stared at him wildly while he was disappearing in the snow until Neville said: „Don't be angry, Seamus. We'll go join the meeting in Hog's Head and it'll be all-"

„I'm not going." Seamus broke away from Neville, still focusing the point where Malfoy had disappeared.

„You... you're not?", Neville seemed confused, „Is it... because of Dean and Ginny?"

„No!" Seamus went on, leaving Neville behind. Like hell he would tell him that he was right with his assumption!

„You... you don't have to be afraid of telling me that you want to go out with Ginny!", Neville shouted while trying to follow Seamus' fast steps, „Either way I know that she would never favour me, Seamus, I'm just-"

„It's **not** about Ginny!", Seamus turned around and looked at Neville with sharp eyes. Neville flinched and Seamus suddenly felt guilty for yelling at him. „I'm sorry.", he muttered and went on, „But, you know... Dean's only talking about her currently and I don't want to…."

„...lose your best friend. I know.", Neville smiled at Seamus and followed him. They did not talk a word during the remaining way to Hogsmeade.

* * *

After drinking a beer in the Three Broomsticks Neville said goodbye to Seamus who still refused to join the others in the Hog's Head. Instead of that he strolled around in Hogsmeade and visited some of the shops. But quite soon he started to get bored. While Seamus was wandering through the humongous shelves filled with sweets in the Honeyduke he contemplated to go back to Hogwarts. But at the same moment his head forced him to stay. Maybe he was able to intercept Dean on his way back to the castle.

Turning up his collar Seamus stepped out of the Honeyduke and stared at the grey sky above him which slowly turned darker and darker. How long did the others stay at the Hog's Head?! Annoyed he kicked some of the snow on the street and just went on, not even knowing where to go. Showing off in the Three Broomsticks again would not be such a good idea. The last time he took a peek inside through on of the windows Malfoy had been sitting in one corner of the room and running into him again was not a thing Seamus was looking forward to. Instead of that his feet carried him trough a piece of woodlands away from Hogsmeade.

Seamus' steps slowed down the further he went on the narrow, snowy path between the fir trees whose tips were striving towards heaven. He thought about Dean and Ginny and his stomach turned upside down. Maybe he had become irrelevant for Dean now that he had a girlfriend to talk to.

Slowly Seamus stepped out of the woods and entered a bright clearing from where Hogsmeade could not be seen anymore. Frustrated he leaned against a fence and looked up to the Shrieking Shack which lay silently in the even snow. Seamus was freezing but he did not want to go back and warm up. He wanted to be alone feeling pity for himself.

It got darker and darker. Soon the snow was nearly the only thing left shining white in the twilight. But Seamus did not care. He muttered a quiet „ _Lumos_!" and a small ball of light was floating next to him in the air.

Seamus must already have stood there for hours when suddenly a crunching sound of footsteps in the snow behind him forced him to turn around. He went even more pale than he already was when he realized who was stepping towards him, gasping and rushed. Obviously he had been running.

„Dean?", Seamus let go of his wand which he had held in his hand all the time and it fell into the snow.

„Seamus!", Dean ran the last few metres and enfolded Seamus tightly in his arms. Automatically Seamus returned his gesture and pressed his face against Dean's chest. He was warm and cozy and Seamus realized how much he had been freezing.

For several minutes they both simply stood in the snow, hugging each other while Dean still was gasping very fast. Then finally Dean was the first to speak.

„Merlin's Beard! Seamus! Where have you been?!", he looked at him both worried and relieved, „I've searched for you everywhere in Hogsmeade! Neville told me that he left you in the Three Broomsticks, but you weren't there and... why the heck are you out here at the Shrieking Shack?!"

Seamus stood silent for a while looking down at the snow and then mumbled: „I... wanted to be alone."

„What?! Why?!" Dean looked confused at Seamus and let go of him. He seemed completely struck by Seamus' words. Then after a few moments while Dean had stared at his best friend's face he asked: „Are you angry at me?"

Seamus needed to clear his throat before he could speak. Whatever he said now... Dean would probably know about his secret when they would leave for Hogwarts. But he had to say at least something.

„No... well... yeah... maybe. Somehow.", Seamus still did not look at Dean while he was talking but instead examining a very dirty spot of snow on the ground.

„What do you mean...?", Dean still looked confused at Seamus and because of Seamus not answering he guessed, „You're not… jealous, are you?"

Seamus immediately went red. How could he know? How the hell could he know?!

„I... I'm not!" Now he was looking directly in Dean's face and he was quite sure that Dean did not believe him. Because he grinned straight away.

„You are." Confident of victory he raised an eyebrow and took a step nearer towards Seamus.

„No, I'm not!", Seamus recoiled, hitting against the fence in his back.

„Of course you are." Dean smiled while saying these words and pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket. „You're jealous because I went to Hogsmeade together with Ginny." Seamus nearly _felt_ how he went more and more pink while Dean was talking.

„You did, didn't you?", he said, accusingly looking at Dean. Dean sighed, then he answered.

„Yeah, I did. But to be honest... Ginny only wanted to talk privately with me to tell me... that she has a crush on Harry."

Seamus' eyes widened after these words. Dean was joking! Ginny could not... or could she?

„So... you're not dating her anymore?"

Dean shrugged. „Think I never did." The ease in Dean's voice sounded more than fishy to Seamus and he raised an eyebrow.

„You don't seem very... disappointed." He spoke the last word very careful, in case Dean was just pretending. But instead of answering Dean looked up into the starry night and did not say a word at all. Nervously Seamus looked up at the stars, too. His heart was beating so fast that Dean surely could hear it. But Dean stayed quite for some minutes before he began to speak again.

„You know, Shae... I realized that whatever I felt... well, feel for Ginny... can't be love. Maybe... maybe I just have a crush on her, you know? Like, she's cool and beautiful, but….", Dean's voice faltered and Seamus turned towards him. They faced and Seamus believed that Dean had turned a bit pink, too, but he was not sure at all. „Shae…."

Dean's words let Seamus shiver and he felt that he could not speak anymore so he simply nodded.

„Shae... I think... I think you're more important to me than I thought.", he turned his face away, scratching the back of his head, „I... I think, I... may love you."

Seamus' heart stopped for a few seconds. His brain turned to something comparable to the mushy snow on the ground and his heartbeat filled his ears. And then he just reacted in the only way that came into his disarranged mind.

„You... you stupid troll!" He catched Dean's cheek with his hand and turned his face so that they looked into each others eyes. And then he simply leaned forward until their lips touched.


	2. Divination

Divination

Dean had never been very fond of going to Divination lessons. Sometimes he even wondered why he had chosen to learn anything about it in his third grade. So far, it had only consisted of stupid blabbering about death and unfortunate happenings. If it were up to Professor Trelawney, the whole world could collapse at every moment. And maybe she was not that wrong considering the fact that 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' had returned… but compared with Trelawney's dreadful forseekings Lord Voldemort seemed to be a very pleasant alternative.

"Say, Dean..." Seamus interrupted Dean's thoughts while gasping up the stairs behin him. "...Dean, did ya do this… this stupid… dream-diary?"

Dean stopped and waited for Seamus to catch up before he shrugged and answered: "Well… a bit."

"What do ya mean? A bit?", Seamus asked and leaned against a wall to calm his breath down. Why could Trelawney not use a normal classroom instead of her stuffy room in one of the towers?

Dean nervously started playing with his earring and his cheeks suddenly felt very warm. But looking at Seamus, who still was breathing very hard, just made him restless. Maybe it was better not to look at him for too long. Instead Dean was focusing his shoelaces and muttered: "Don't tell me you could remember all of your dreams."

"Surely not.", Seamus chuckled and started climbing the stairs again, "Not that I would like Trelawney knowing everything about my dreams. Or even worse: Umbridge!" Dean snorted and followed Seamus up the stairs. No. Nothing in the world would get him to write down every damn dream he had. Especially not his recent ones. Climbing up the stairs Dean's mind drifted away again and he did not listen to Seamus talking about the silly dream he had a few days ago. No… Dean was thinking about his own dreams. The ones he truly did remember but simply was too frightened to write them down. Like, hell, he could not even think of talking about them! Because they all were about Seamus. And only Seamus. His dark green eyes, his soft, sandy hair, his slightly pointed nose, his rough voice and his goddamn hot accent. His pale body, covered in freckles. Touching him, kissing him, lying underneath him and- **THUD!**

For a moment Dean only saw stars. He staggered and hold a grab on to the only thing that was in his reach. It was a ladder. Dean shook his head until he could think clearly again and then looked up the staves in front of him. It was the entrance to the Divination classroom and obviously Dean had been running against it.

"Lad, what are ya doin'?", Seamus asked who already had half climed up the ladder.

"Nothin'.", muttered Dean and followed him with red cheeks. Telling Seamus that he had been the reason for him being mentally absent would not be too good. Not at all.

In Professor Trelawneys classroom it was as sticky and hot as always. And Dean who still rubbed his forehead where he had bumped against the ladder was sure to get headaches in here today. So he grabbed Seamus' arm and lead him to a little table next to a window which was covered by more than only one curtain. "Let's sit here.", Dean decided and let himself fall onto one of Trelawney's horrible mustard yellow, tassel-staffed cushions, "Maybe Umbridge won't go through the trouble of climbing up here."

"You got a point there.", sighed Seamus while sitting down next to Dean on another cushion (a purple one). He pulled out a booklet which looked as if Seamus had pushed it into his bag without caring how squashed it would get in there and let it fall on the lower table in front of them. Then he shoved his bag to his feet and leaned back against the wall. "Damn.. it is way too hot in here." Seamus closed his eyes and grabbed his tie to loosen it up.

"Y-Yeah." Dean hastily turned his face away, as red as a traffic light and pulled out 'The Dream Oracle' and his own dream-diary. Up here in this sultry, small room it would not be very intelligent to look at Seamus who looked just as if…

"Hrm-hrm."

Dean looked up and so did Seamus. But even though they knew from whom this sound came they needed some time to find Dolores Umbridge in the middle of the room. She was examining the students who were sitting in a semicircle on different levels all around the classroom. Dean grinned and pushed Seamus with his elbow.

"You think she's looking if anyone is missing or is she frightened by the massive amount of quackery in here?"

"I hope she's frightened.", chuckled Seamus but Dean could hear in his voice that he was doubting his own words. He looked down the levels at Umbridge who now was asking Neville about Trelawney being obviously late. Neville just stammered something incomprehensible and Umbridge simply looked at him as if he could not even count to three, then she took some notes on her clipboard and started walking around in the classroom.

"I really hate her.", hissed Dean and opened his book, just to have something to do.

"Yeah.", Seamus looked angrily at Umbridge who had started to look on her watch every ten seconds, "Mocking Neville is unfair."

Dean nearly wanted to make a comment considering Harry who would definitively defend Neville and shout at Umbridge again, but talking about Harry was a no-go in Seamus's presence these days. So he just stayed quiet reading and was happy that Trelawney finally appeared. She did not look healthy and seemed intimidated around Umbridge. And Dean was not surprised about that.

After Umbridge had asked Trelawney some very nasty questions on her whereabouts which the Divination Professor could only answer stuttering and rushed, class started. Seamus sighed and opened his dream-diary only to let his head fall down on it.

"My dear students!" Trelawney tried to sound confident but everyone knew how horrified she was of Umbridge who again started strolling around in the room. "You now have time to read your partner's dreams… Try to get a sense for interpreting them and _see_ what your opposite will have… to face!"

"She could just stop blabbering and let us start this nonsense.", Dean murmured and pulled away Seamus's booklet from underneath his head. Seamus looked up annoyed but did not say a word. He simply grabbed his own dream interpretation book and let his head fall down on it instead of letting it fall onto the booklet.

"Tell me when you are done, Dean.", he yawned and Dean who had to fight against his inner will of stroking through Seamus' hair which was glowing red in the thin rays of light falling through the curtains actually started to read through the dream-diary of his best friend.

It was not easy to decode Seamus's scrawl in the booklet while the air in the classroom seemed to get thicker and thicker. But after several minutes Dean had read the first dream which consisted of Seamus feeding a swan which flew away when Seamus tripped over a red snake and fell into a huge pile of sweets. Dean sighed and pulled 'The Dream Oracle' nearer. Not only that Seamus' dream was completely bullshit, to interpret it was just… daft.

"What colour did your swan have?", asked Dean emotionless and browsed through the pages with an 'S' in the upper corner.

"White.", grunted Seamus who obviously had fallen half asleep again. Dean looked the meaning up and surprised raised an eyebrow.

"You're gonna… find a loyal partner. Or friend. No! A partner. Because the swan's flying." While talking Dean noticed how his heart stopped beating for a moment. Would someone come and take Seamus away from him? He could not…!

"Are you serious?" Seamus looked up and grabbed Dean's notes.

"It's standing in here." Dean pointed at the book and went on with interpreting. "You're falling… that means intrigues or rumours. Then the sweets… have something to do with what you want to have. And that red snake-" Dean stopped and went red.

"What? What about the snake?" Alarmed Seamus let the booklet fall onto his lap and took the book away from Dean to read the interpretation himself. He, too, went red.

Strictly speaking there were only two words standing behind 'red snake'. Yet it was enough to make both Dean and Seamus shiver. Some things just must not be written in school books for fifteen year old teenagers.

 _At least not if they feel attracted to their best friend._

Seamus let Dean's book drop onto the table and stared at it for several seconds. And Dean, too, looked at the words again which were written so innocent that he could not even laugh about it.

" _Red Snake: Sexual desire_

 _Though snakes have to be interpreted as a symbol of sexuality in general, red snakes in dreams have a much more intense meaning for the dreamer. They show people their innermost desire and usually lead them to a person they are deeply longing for._

 _If sex fantasies or sex toys are included please look up page 165 ff or 171."_

Dean gulped and finally dared to speak again, even though he was afraid of Seamus' answer. Provided that he would answer at all. "So… sexual desire, huh?" He could see from the corner of his eyes that Seamus' cheeks went even more pink.

"Don't tell me that I'm the only one here who has such dreams...", Seamus did not look at Dean. Instead he focused his shaking hands which still held the dream interpretation book.

"To be honest… noone could have known that this...", Dean started but then faltered.

"I know.", Seamus muttered, "It's only a snake." He looked up and directly into Dean's eyes. For merely a second Dean though he had seen some kind of begging in Seamus' eyes, but that touch vanished as soon as it had appeared. "But I can't deny it's meaning."

"So… it is true then?"

"I suppose so.", Seamus looked at the book again and then let his view wander around the room, watching the other students interpretating their partner's dreams. Then, finally, he started to talk again, but in a low voice which Dean merely could hear. "Ya know, Dean… I… I actually did not write all of my dream in that… emm… booklet. Just in case…"

"What is it?"

Seamus stayed silent for a moment, then he said: "Later. I don't want to let everybody here know."

Dean understood and nodded. Maybe it was better to talk about this privately.

Normally Dean and Seamus would have headed for the Great Hall to have lunch after Divination and History of Magic. But today Seamus dragged Dean out of the castle and over the grounds of Hogwarts. For quite some time they walked silently next to each other, but finally Dean could not longer stand the silence.

"So… what did you wanna tell me… 'bout Divination?" He looked down at Seamus who was picking some leaves from a bush they walked by. His sandy hair was shimmering golden in the midday sun and for the second time this day Dean had to withstand the thought of running his hand through it.

"I did not write all of my dream in that booklet."

"I know.", Dean looked confused at his friend, "You already told me that."

"I… I left out the ending.", Seamus mumbled and stopped.

"What ending?" Dean stopped, too. He caught Seamus' gaze and shoved his hands in his pockets. Even though spring had finally arrived it still was quite freezing outside.

Seamus stared at Dean for a moment. He seemed not to know whether he should act how he wanted or not. His fingers were playing with the leaves in his hands and his ears went red. But after a while he reduced the distance between him and Dean until their faces nearly touched. At least if Seamus would have been a bit bigger. Dean suddenly felt that his heart was pounding extremely fast and he digged his hands even deeper into his pockets.

Only some moments later (which had felt like centuries) Seamus looked up and into Dean's eyes, before speaking.

"Ya know… that… emm… that kind of ending." With glowing cheeks he rose up onto his tiptoes and simply pressed his lips against Dean's.

Dean's heart skipped a beat and for a moment he forgot everything around him. Nothing here mattered anymore. Only Seamus who was by his side, _kissing_ him. Something inside of Dean seemed to catch fire and warmth was spreading through his entire body. He closed his eyes, just for a little moment, until Seamus broke the kiss away.

They looked at each other with glowing, red faces and none of them dared to say a word. Then Seamus turned around, murmuring: "We better go back to the Great Hall… Maybe lunch isn't over yet." And without waiting for Dean's response he started running over the grounds, back to the castle.

Dean looked at him, silently grinning. At first he needed some time to fully understand what had been happening, but then he started running back to the school, too. He felt so damn free and relieved right now that it nearly felt like flying. And while he was chasing Seamus back to the gates of Hogwarts he had to admit that Divination was not that bad after all.


End file.
